Syracuse University Student lobbies for an XFL team. Will this work?

[MarkNelson]

There is an interesting article describing how a Syracuse University student is lobbying for the XFL to put a team in Syracuse.

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/ ... _dome.html

My question is: will this work? Do you think the XFL will listen to these type of appeals?

[XFL_FAN]

Man, I was looking to use this for XFL Links tomorrow! But anyway, there's going to be a team in NY, but I don't think this lobbying will put it in Syracuse.

[MarkNelson]

The amount of grassroots lobbying occurring right now is remarkable. I’m sure the XFL will take notice, but there must be other factors that will be considered.

Lobbying can’t hurt, but it may not help.

[Andibald]

It is helping to create national enthusiasm. With only 8 cities/area getting teams for the first year, not everyone will have a local team to root for initially. This early excitement may be enough to get the league through the first few seasons with expansion hope in the future. If the XFL is smart, they will not publicly rule out any city/area for a team.

[XFL_FAN]

It is helping to create national enthusiasm. With only 8 cities/area getting teams for the first year, not everyone will have a local team to root for initially. This early excitement may be enough to get the league through the first few seasons with expansion hope in the future. If the XFL is smart, they will not publicly rule out any city/area for a team.

Key word there is publicly. Hopefully the early excitement will get the league through the early years.

[Sykotyk]

The biggest issue facing a potential Syracuse team is sharing the stadium with the Men's and Women's basketball teams. That requires a lot of change over to go from basketball to football or reverse. And early part of the season will have considerable overlap. All tolled, the first few weeks are probably not going to be the best available dates.

What would really help is that it's ON CAMPUS, which if you do some sort of student ticket price, you could probably expect quite a few students looking for some entertainment within walking distance. It also is far enough from Buffalo that it's essentially a whole new market. Sure, there is some long distance fans driving from Syracuse to Buffalo for the Bills, and I'm sure a handful or more will drive from Buffalo east. But, it will be its own market and live and die on its own.

It's a decent sized venue (even just the lower bowl being used depending on projected attendance and open the upper level as needed). Or, depending on crowd projections, just go general admission since it's all bleacher seating Guarantees to fill it in.

I think this is just the type of market XFL should focus on. And then go regional. Maybe not "Syracuse (whatevers)" go "New York State (whatevers)" etc.

[Loogan]

Looking around, there is plenty of peeps asking for a team. At least this guy from Syracuse got some coverage in the local news.

[PostFootball]

there are a lot of people asking for teams, but that doesn't mean there is a lot of real support in those areas. I am still not sold on Birmingham. The city has grown and renovations are coming, but they averaged less than 20K people per game last time. I am dubious that they will somehow literally double that number. I feel the league should play in smaller stadiums where they can have 25-40K seats as a small rocking stadium will create more demand and make a better impression with the media and audience who will not question the small stadium, but be taken in by how crowded things now look and how loud the crowds sound. That would create more value, interest, better media reports, lead to more advertisers wanting in as the good perception that would cause will out-way the potential gate. i just do not see them filling a 60K stadium and think they can really do better long term by concentrating on smaller venues, even if they go to bigger markets i would not play in the large NFL stadiums there, but look for smaller baseball stadiums or soccer stadiums where i think they can really maximize their value and interest.

[XFL_FAN]

there are a lot of people asking for teams, but that doesn't mean there is a lot of real support in those areas. I am still not sold on Birmingham. The city has grown and renovations are coming, but they averaged less than 20K people per game last time.

I agree, I don't understand the hype on Birmingham...

[Andibald]

Hype machine working to bring XFL franchise to Syracuse

http://www.localsyr.com/news/local-news ... wsChannel9

"I say why not Syracuse? We've proven to be one of the greatest sports cities in American with SU athletics, we've got very passionate football fans here in the Syracuse area, so I think the city would crave the XFL," Scott says.

Cooper Young is helping Scott's effort to get an XFL team in Syracuse, "People of Syracuse want to get hyped they want to get crazy and they want to get loud about something and that is the XFL. The XFL is basically the Monster Jam of football and to have that on a weekly basis and to have our own team would be so exciting."